Canadian War Museum most honoured at Ontario Museum Awards

October 19, 2012

 Ottawa, Ontario, October 19, 2012 — The Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization were among the institutions honoured last night at the 2012 Ontario Museums Association (OMA) Awards of Excellence banquet in Niagara Falls. 

The War Museum was the most honoured institution of the night. It received the Award of Excellence in two categories—Exhibitions and Community Engagement—and an Honourable Mention in a third category, Publications. The Canadian Museum of Civilization received an Honourable Mention in the Exhibitions category. 

The OMA Awards of Excellence recognize outstanding contributions to the Ontario museum community, with an emphasis on innovation. Only one award is presented in each of seven categories. Honourable mentions recognize other outstanding achievements. 

“We are proud and delighted to receive this recognition from our peers and we congratulate all the other honourees,” said Mark O’Neill, President and CEO of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation, which manages the two national history museums. “We also applaud the OMA for encouraging excellence in the museum field, and the advancement of the museum profession, through this awards program.”

The War Museum received the Award of Excellence in Exhibitions for 1812, its ambitious and innovative exhibition about the War of 1812. The Award citation praised the exhibition for “presenting a sophisticated, honest appreciation of a critical moment in Canada’s military past, in a way that deeply respects its complex, challenging content.” The Museum was also praised for making travelling versions of the exhibition available to museums across the country, and for its production of an internet microsite, an interactive virtual exhibit, and a complementary publication.

The War Museum also received the Award of Excellence in Community Engagement for its participation in The Human Library project. The project invites human “books” to share their stories with others through personal interaction. Developed in Denmark, the concept has become a worldwide phenomenon. The Awards citation credited the Museum and its “books” for “broadening perspectives of what the Museum is about and what it can do to engage Canadians with stories of Canadian military history.”

The War Museum received an Honourable Mention for its publication The Four Wars of 1812 by Dr. Peter Macleod, curator of the 1812 exhibition and pre-Confederation historian at the Museum.

The Canadian Museum of Civilization received an Honourable Mention for its exhibition God(s): A User’s Guide.

The Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation operates the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Canadian War Museum and the Virtual Museum of New France. As part of their mandate, the Museums function as centres for research and public information on the social, military and human history of the country. Their principal role is to preserve and promote the heritage of Canada for present and future generations, thereby contributing to the enhancement of Canadian identity.

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Media Contacts:

Avra Gibbs Lamey
Communications and Media Relations Officer
Canadian War Museum
Telephone: 819-776-8607
avra.gibbs-lamey@warmuseum.ca

Stéphanie Verner
Media Relations Officer Canadian Museum of Civilization
Telephone: 819-776-7169
stephanie.verner@historymuseum.ca

For more information visit www.warmuseum.ca and www.historymuseum.ca. Follow us on twitter.com/CanWarMuseum and twitter.com/civilization.